In this new episode of “On Tour with Nose,” Dr. Björn Örvar, Chief Scientific Officer and Executive President of Research and Innovation at Bioeffect, opens the doors to his Icelandic laboratories and greenhouses. On the agenda: a deep dive into the science behind epidermal growth factor, and the radically different vision of a brand born in the lab.
A biotechnology company that became a skincare brand
Bioeffect was not founded to sell cosmetics. Originally, it was a biotechnology company producing human growth factors for stem cell research. The shift toward skincare happened through science, not through the market. “At the beginning, we had no understanding of the cosmetics industry, absolutely none,” admits Dr. Björn Örvar.
It was on the demanding Icelandic market that the first EGF serum was launched. It became instantly popular—a validation through results, before any communication strategy.
EGF: a Nobel Prize–winning signal
EGF—Epidermal Growth Factor—is a protein that signals skin cells to function better. This discovery earned its researchers a Nobel Prize in Medicine. It is therefore not just another ingredient: it is a fundamental biological mechanism, which Bioeffect chose to place at the core of all its formulations.
The brand’s formulation philosophy stems directly from this scientific rigor: why would our skin need 50, 60, or 70 different ingredients? The original EGF serum contains only 7. A focus on what works, rather than an accumulation of actives whose interactions are often unknown.
Icelandic barley, a precisely engineered fountain of youth
Producing EGF poses a major technical challenge. One common method involves genetically modifying the bacterium E. coli—but this approach carries a risk: the bacterium also produces endotoxins, harmful chemical substances. Bioeffect chose a different path: cultivating a plant capable of producing exactly the same protein as that made by humans. That plant is barley.
From the introduction of new genetic information into the barley stem cell to the first seed, about nine months pass. The plants are grown in high-tech greenhouses powered by geothermal energy—a natural source located just a few hundred meters away, where a lava flow was deposited 2,400 years ago.
Icelandic water, a key ingredient in its own right
Icelandic volcanic rock is extremely porous. Rain and snow slowly seep into it, naturally filtering through the stone. The resulting water is exceptionally pure. This same water is used to irrigate the barley plants in the greenhouse and is also part of Bioeffect’s formulations—including the EGF Essence.
EGF Essence is applied with gentle presses to the face, before the serum: since EGF is more effective in an aqueous environment, this hydrating step enhances the activity of the ingredient. A usage logic designed by the scientists who created the product—not by a marketing department.
Discover the EGF Serum and the Bioeffect universe in our selection below.
